Two months ago, I wrote about my need to rebuild my reading life.
In that post, I spoke of executing an eight-week book-reading plan I stumbled upon. All because I desperately needed to regain what I felt I had lost in recent years — my love for books and, along with that, my desire to read them.
Eight weeks have flown by. I’m ready today to share what I’ve learned, now that I’m a day away from the end of this gruelling reading plan.
If, like me, you’ve “fallen behind” on your love for reading, then I hope you will be inspired by this post to attempt a reading plan equally (or maybe more) ambitious.
Because, like me, you believe deep down that the love of reading is worth fighting for!
The Reading Plan I Tried
To recap, below was the reading plan I took on these past two months (note that the plan specified no screens, only print. So I couldn’t even use an e-reader like Kindle):
Week 1: 10 min a day — in one go
Then Week 2: 15 min a day + 2 longer reads during the week: 30 & 45 min
Week 3: 25 min a day + 2 longer reads during the week: 45 & 45 min
Followed by Week 4: 30 min a day + 2 longer reads during the week: 45 & 60 min
Week 5: 35 min a day + 3 longer reads during the week: 45m x 3
Then Week 6: 45 min a day + 3 longer reads: 45m, 60m, 90m
Week 7: 60 min a day + 2 longer reads: 90 & 90 min
Followed by Week 8: 60 min a day + 2 longer reads: 90 min & 2 hrs
Thereafter, to celebrate progress: read 300 pages in 24 hrs – could be one afternoon/evening and then the following morning.
Thanks To Tech, Reading Has Been Steadily Declining
When I took this plan on, I had a simple goal. To restore my love for books. And the instinct to reach for a book each time I needed to do something. Instead of, say, reaching for a digital device or a TV remote.
I knew the going would be tough. My mind has become so distracted since embracing digital technology these past couple of decades (alongside the rest of humanity). Don’t think there’s a soul on earth who hasn’t been seduced by the promise of endless dopamine streams since the launch of the iPhone in 2007!
Of course, you needn’t take my word for it.
A study found that globally, people now spend an average of 33 hours and 13 minutes per week on screens. That’s close to six hours a day, which works out to a quarter of our lifetimes! And if the remaining three quarters of our lives are spent on sleep, work, and family, then where’s the time left to read?!
Of course, most would dismiss my alarmist holler and remind me that they read stuff on screen too. But think about it and look around. I mean, really. Look around. Aren’t these same people on their screens most of the time just to play a video game, watch their favourite drama series, or doomscroll TikTok after TikTok?
And to be honest, I’ve also been one of them for a long time now.
Hence, my urgent need to redress this problem before it’s too late. Even if it meant taking on a monster of a reading plan, like the one I shared above.
The Challenges That Plagued My Reading Plan
The first week of the plan was pretty easy. Just 15 minutes a day? No problem. In fact, the problem was to resist reading longer!
That is, until I came to the additional requirement of reading 30 minutes once. And again for 45 minutes.
Help! I Can’t Focus
In those moments, I began to notice my mind drifting and being lost in thought almost magically, even though my eyes were absorbing the words on the page. This typically happens even before I’m done with the first page. Meaning I often had to turn back the page and re-read. Sometimes more than once! A necessary move, especially if I’m reading thick novels with lots of details stitched into the passages. Details needed to fully keep up with the story and its characters.
I’m So Impatient!
I also noticed the creeping impatience that seemingly appears out of nowhere, and continuously grows and gnaws at me to put the book down and return to my screens!
No surprise that I found myself glossing over some paragraphs, especially the boring bits. Just to “save time” and speed things along. And, hopefully, reach the end of that scheduled reading time.
On several occasions, I made the mistake of using my phone to time myself. Because then I would end up checking and re-checking to see if my time was up. Which meant I might encounter a notification on the screen. And of course I must respond to that notification, right?!
As you can see, I’m the reason for such gruelling reading plans!
Stop. Life.
Oh, and don’t get me started on how LIFE often loves to interrupt my reading! “Daddy, can we go cycling now?!” “Dear, help me collect (fill in the blank _____) from the store, will ya?”
And the list goes on.
The Joys Of Reading Rediscovered
Still, not all was lost.
I’ve found my “groove” on several reading sessions throughout the eight weeks. These were moments of intense focus as the material gripped me and I had to keep reading to find out what’s next.
Sometimes I found myself jotting down beautiful lines I read, or poignant thoughts that arose from what I read. Or bookmarking the pages that contained gems or meaningful quotes I hope to re-read or share with someone who would listen.
And gradually over the weeks, I found that not only did I instinctively look around me for a book (instead of my phone) during those in-between moments of daily life, I also started going to my public library more often to borrow more books. I even opened my wallet and purchased more books in these two months than I did in the last two years!
As someone generally reluctant to spend money, I can tell you this is no small feat.
And I am happily devouring more than one book at a time too! Something I used to enjoy doing because it keeps me reading and beats losing my reading momentum just because a particular page or chapter wasn’t “singing” to me, but tempting me to close the book and reach for my phone.
I’m even re-reading old books and joining reading clubs (something I’ll share more about in a future post)!
Reading, Oh How I’ve Missed You!
But, most of all, I truly truly came to realise these two months — in a very visceral way — that I dearly miss reading!
And that realisation has been both arresting and liberating.
So to you my dear reader, if you desire to be arrested and liberated in a deep, abiding way, then stop reading this and go pick up the nearest book you have.
And be enthralled anew as you rebuild your reading life!
When you do, please reply here cos I’ll love to hear how it was for you.
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Thank you so much!
